Scatty Vanilla, Bo update and a book meme

Yes, so, where are the nuts?

If this post makes no sense, don’t say you weren’t warned. And if you’re wondering why blog posts are a bit scarce, I suspect it’s because I’ve forgotten I have a blog! I rather fear that a few brain cells have gone walk about these past couple of days leaving me beyond scatty. So far I’ve tried to unpack the dishwasher into the fridge. I’ve managed to knock over an entire pile of magazines in the supermarket. I’ve mowed down an elderly lady with my shopping trolley, I’ve forgotten my physio appointment, nearly closed the garage door on my car, forgotten a samoosa in the microwave for so long it caught on fire (I’m not kidding – only the smell alerted me), and I’ve been caught talking to myself on several occasions (not that this is particularly unusual). I’ve decided the best thing to do is to go back to bed and not emerge until D has certified me fit human company. Do you ever have days like this? Please tell me I’m not alone, or that I’m not irretrievably losing my last remaining marble.

Not a guinea fowl - but a rock pigeon

In other news, Bo has taken a huge leap forward – or should I say upward. She (or he - I’m starting to wonder if I’m not also suffering from a bad case of fowl gender confusion), has given up on Gilbert and has taken to roosting on the bamboo roads I poked through the bars of the dog traveling cage. The rods are half a meter up, which means, despite playing possum during the flying lessons, she can in fact fly a bit. She’s also developing an attitude, which means when I fish her out of her cage in the morning to go into her “day room”, she bites me. I do not mean a peck, I mean beak clamping down over the soft folds of skin on my hand. Clearly this is a fowl with not fur and fangs, but feathers and beak. Granny Were would be proud of her. This weekend D will be building her a much bigger pen and I think she’ll be able to start sleeping outdoors, after all, we don’t want her becoming soft and foppish. She’s also discovered that sitting on my shoulder isn’t a bad idea. I hope this isn’t something that’s going to last into adulthood. I mean a parrot on one’s shoulder is one thing but a fully grown guinea fowl? I think not!
I should add that presently Ms Bo is perched under a sun umbrella – all that’s missing is the pina colada… and her family who seem to have disappeared.

You lookin' at me?

And then Karen over at Border Town Notes tagged me for a meme… Memememememememeeeeeeeeee… (Sorry about that, just remember I warned you in the first paragraph…)
So, in this meme I’m supposed to recommend four essential reads. Hoo boy.

The rules are:

(a) Fiction book
(b) Autobiography
(c) Non-fiction book
(d) A fourth book of your choice from any genre.

Explain why the books are essential reads in no more than 30 words per book. Ooh er…

a) Fiction Book – actually it’s a children’s book (now come on, don’t tell me you’re surprised): The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge.
As a child I found this book inspirational woven as it is with magic and gentle words and plenty of imagination. If there was ever a book that encouraged me to write for children, this was it. Oops, passed the 30 word mark, oh well.

b) Autobiography – I’m not a great fan of autobiography’s so perhaps the book that comes closest is Wild Swans by Jung Chang.
As a student of Chinese politics in my final year at university, when I later came to read this book I found it full of the realities of what China was really like for the majority under the leadership of Mao and following on the Cultural Revolution. It’s also a very vivid story and well told.

c) The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu – discovering the Tao has made such a fundamental difference in my life that not mentioning it would just be, well, all wrong. It is wise, insightful, mysterious, but if you take the time to really feel the words all sorts of truths are revealed.

d) On a lighter note, and because laughter is the best medicine, pretty much any of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series – perhaps running at present favourite is Wintersmith, a close second is Wyrd Sisters. I love Pratchett’s humour, his imagination, characterisation and the easy flow with which he writes. I also love the way he parodies the world - and I think it’s utterly tragic that he has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

I’m not sure how many people I’m supposed to tag, but I’m tagging:
Lane
Baino
Jane
Fire Byrd
Crystal Jigsaw
Laquet
Ropi
and Rambler

Actually, you know what? Just all consider yourselves tagged – I’d hate any of you to feel left out!

Right, now let me see if I can find my way to the garden without getting lost.